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A six-wicket haul from Tim Southee secured a 55-run first-innings lead for New Zealand and left Babar Azam stranded ten short of a maiden Test hundred

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy27-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsTim Southee and Neil Wagner combined to take nine Pakistan wickets•Getty ImagesA six-wicket haul from Tim Southee secured a 55-run lead for New Zealand and left Babar Azam stranded ten short of a maiden Test hundred on a damp third day at Seddon Park. Rain allowed only 38.1 overs of play. A brief shower forced lunch eight minutes early, and only six balls were possible in the second session. Pakistan’s innings ended 5.2 overs into the third session, after which the New Zealand openers came out and faced one ball before it rained again.Pakistan were 76 for 5 at the start of the day’s play, and trailed New Zealand by 195. That they narrowed their deficit to 55 was down largely to two partnerships featuring Azam: 74 for the sixth wicket with Sarfraz Ahmed, and 67 for the seventh with Sohail Khan. New Zealand then struck back, taking the last four wickets for only 24 runs.Azam had feasted on some wayward New Zealand bowling on the second evening, picking up a number of boundaries with the cut and the flick. The seamers were a lot more disciplined against him on the third morning, largely sticking to a fourth-stump line and seldom wavering from a good length. Azam fought discipline with discipline, showing excellent defensive technique and looking entirely unaffected when his partners outscored him. He looked to play in the V as much as possible, and two of his five fours on the day came in that region, glorious drives down the ground off Wagner.A long awaited five-for

28 Tests played by Tim Southee without taking a five-wicket haul. His previous five-for was 6 for 50 at Lord’s in 2013.

2 Five-fors for Southee in 26 home Tests. His first five-wicket haul at home had come on debut in 2007-08.

1996 The last time a Pakistan No.3 made a higher score against New Zealand than Babar Azam’s 90 not out – Ijaz Ahmed scored 125 in Rawalpindi.

61.75 Babar Azam’s average in international matches this year – the best for Pakistan. He has 988 runs in 20 innings across formats.

The morning began with Sarfraz going after the bowling by pulling, cutting, and jumping out of his crease to put the fast bowlers off their length. He hit six fours in two successive overs from Southee, who was unable to find either the seam movement or the length that helped him run through Pakistan’s top order on day two and offered up a number of short balls. Just as he entered the 40s and raised hopes of a similar innings to his match-turning 96 against Sri Lanka in Galle last year, he steered Neil Wagner straight to second slip, where Jeet Raval clung onto an excellent reflex catch.Sohail, whose second-innings 40 in Christchurch earned him a promotion to No. 8, took over Sarfraz’s role at the crease. Wagner, looking to test him with the short ball from both sides of the wicket, ended up leaking runs as Sohail took him on with the pull and the hook. Twice in succession, Sohail sent the ball soaring over the fielder at long leg, and once he bisected long leg and deep square leg.The seventh-wicket pair took Pakistan into the 190s before Southee, returning for his second spell of the day, found some outswing to break the partnership, first beating and then kissing Sohail’s outside edge. Then, in the next over, Colin de Grandhomme had Wahab Riaz lbw, his front pad going too far across the stumps and coming in the way of his bat’s downswing.The final session began with Pakistan 201 for 8, with Azam batting on 81. Southee bowled a leg-stump half-volley which Azam put away to the boundary, but produced a beauty in his next over, the extra bounce forcing Mohammad Amir to lob a catch to second slip off the glove.In came Imran Khan, playing his eighth Test and yet to score a run in the format. He got off the mark off his second ball, dabbing Southee for a couple towards third man, and Azam moved to 90 with a rasping square-cut off Matt Henry in the next over. That, though, would remain his last scoring stroke, as Southee, peppering Imran with the short ball, forced the No. 11 to tickle one off his ribs and offer BJ Watling a catch down the leg side.Southee’s 6 for 80 was his first five-wicket haul at home since his debut Test in 2008.

Southampton could look to revisit their interest in Lecce midfielder Morten Hjulmand ahead of the club's first season back in the Championship, according to a report from The Athletic.

Who is Southampton signing this summer?

The Saints are set for one of their most important transfer windows in recent years as the club aims to bounce straight back up to the Premier League.

The club is expecting a number of players to depart this summer, with key names including Romeo Lavia who is linked with a move to both Chelsea and Liverpool, James Ward-Prowse who is linked with a move to a number of Premier League clubs such as West Ham United and Tino Livramento who is drawing interest from Champions League outfit Newcastle United, according to NUFC Blog.

The South Coast side will be hoping to bring in as much money as possible from sales in order to fund the rebuilding and retooling of their side.

One player that has been rumored to join Southampton is Swansea City captain Matt Grimes.

The 27-year-old was incoming manager Russell Martin's captain during his tenure at the club, and Martin may want to bring in a player who has a strong understanding of his philosophy and how to implement it.

Another player linked with a move is Manchester City academy prospect, Carlos Borges. The Portuguese winger desires for more regular first-team football, and a deal could be struck due to the strong relationship between the clubs.

The Athletic also reports that the club could reignite their interest in Hjulmand, who they tried to bring to St Mary's in the January transfer window. The Saints saw their £8.5m offer rejected by the Italian side, but there was a belief that an increased offer would have been accepted.

Would Hjulmand be a good signing for Southampton?

According to reports from Italy, the Danish international has drawn interest from a number of top European sides including Juventus, Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund, and Brentford, which may turn the player's head away from the Championship outfit.

The 23-year-old enjoyed a fine season for the Serie A side, averaging a rating of 6.82 across 35 appearances which was the highest rating any Lecce player achieved across the campaign, according to WhoScored.

Hjulmand shares a lot of statistical similarities with the current Saints star Lavia, with both players having very strong defensive numbers per 90 compared to other midfielders in Europe's top five leagues, as per FBref. Hjulmand, for example, ranks in the top 1% for interceptions per 90 and Lavia the top 4% for blocks per 90.

The £6.1k-per-week midfielder has received plenty of praise from journalists due to his performances this season, with Italian football expert Steven Moore stating:

"Looking for a regista who is also able to defend? Look no further than Lecce's Morten Hjulmand. At 23, he is one of the league’s rising stars and most underrated players."

Should Southampton manage to convince the Danish midfielder to turn down approaches from the top European sides, they will have their perfect Lavia replacement for just €20m (£17m).

Liverpool could be a side to look out for in the potential race for the Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella this summer.

How much is Nicolo Barella worth?

The Reds have already kick started their summer window off in style through seeing a number of players depart at the end of their current deals with the Merseyside club.

However, it has not just been exiting players at Anfield with the former Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister making the move to join Liverpool.

However, it has been claimed Jurgen Klopp is looking to bring in more than just the one midfielder this summer as it is a major area for improvement.

And one player who has been heavily linked with a potential move away this summer is the long-standing Liverpool target, Barella.

Indeed, the Italian midfielder has been linked with a potential move to Newcastle United this summer after reports suggested the Toon were closing in on a deal worth in the region of £50m.

This is a player who the Reds have been heavily linked with for a long period of time now with the 26-year-old still having three years remaining on his contract.

However, it has since been reported the suggested £50m bid from the Toon would not be anywhere near enough to prise Barella away from the San Siro.

But speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has suggested the Merseyside club could be one to watch this summer:

"I would also keep an eye on Liverpool because Liverpool have always been following the player. Jurgen Klopp has always been a big fan of Barella and so let's see what happens at Liverpool.

"We know they are now busy with Khephren Thuram, Manu Kane and Gabri Veiga so they're they're speaking to agents of many midfielders because they will sign at least another important midfielder this summer. But they're also informed on the situation of Nicolo Barella."

Will Inter sell Barella?

The 26-year-old – who has been hailed "magic" by some in the media – played a huge role in Inter's 2022/23 campaign having made 35 appearances in Serie A where he was able to provide them with six goals and seven assists (via Transfermarkt).

And as a result, reports in Italy (via InterNews) have claimed the Serie A giants would be unwilling to listen to any offers for their midfielder.

The report suggests no bid will be enough to prise Barella away from the San Siro this summer, however, it is no secret that the Italian side have endured some financial difficulties of late.

Amid their issues, the likes of Alessandro Bastoni have been linked with a potential move away in the not-so-distant past, but it seems as if he could be soon to ink a new deal.

Even if Inter were willing to sell Barella, it would be intriguing to see whether the Reds would be able to stretch their transfer budget to compete with the likes of Newcastle.

Uncapped pace bowler Duanne Olivier has been included in South Africa’ squad for the final Test against Sri Lanka following the axing of Kyle Abbott

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jan-2017South Africa squad

Faf du Plessis (capt), Duanne Oliver, Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Stephen Cook, Theunis de Bruyn, Quinton de Kock (wk), JP Duminy, Dean Elgar, Keshav Maharaj, Wayne Parnell, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada

Uncapped pace bowler Duanne Olivier has been included in South Africa’ squad for the final Test against Sri Lanka following the axing of Kyle Abbott, who quit international cricket in favour of a Kolpak deal with Hampshire.Oliver, 24, is the leading first-class wicket-taker for the season with 28 wickets at 21.60 in the Sunfoil Series. Wayne Parnell has retained his place in the squad, and there is a chance South Africa could consider an all-pace attack at the Wanderers, a venue which is likely to further challenge Sri Lanka’s vulnerabilities against pace and movement, after they conceded the series with a 282-run defeat in Cape Town.Uncapped Theunis de Bruyn also keeps his place as the reserve batsman, although there are unlikely to be any changes in that department unless injuries occur. The match will mark Hashim Amla’s 100th Test.Meanwhile, AB de Villiers and Morne Morkel will play for Northerns next week with a view to them being available for selection for the final T20 against Sri Lanka ahead of the one-day series.De Villiers, who quit the Test captaincy prior to the Sri Lanka series, has not played since the CPL in July due to an elbow injury. Morkel has been recovering from a back injury which has limited him to one first-class outing this season.

Wolverhampton Wanderers will aim to make improvements this summer, despite expected financial constraints following the revelation of the clubs’ Financial Fair Play (FFP) woes.

Julen Lopetegui will wish to bolster his squad this transfer window, which is something he could do in stylish fashion as Wolves’ latest link has emerged as a hot talent.

What’s the latest on Manu Kone to Wolves?

As reported by the Daily Mail yesterday, Wolves are showing interest in Borussia Monchengladbach whizz Manu Kone.

The 22-year-old machine has gathered interest from both Liverpool and Aston Villa for his performances in the Bundesliga, with him being valued at £35m as per the report.

Contracted to Die Borussen until 2025, it’s expected that the club will hold out for a good fee for their star.

What could Manu Kone offer to Wolves?

With Ruben Neves almost certain to depart this summer, Lopetegui must find midfield reinforcements to live up to the absence of the Molineux skipper.

Once hailed as “majestic” by talent scout Antonio Mango, the Frenchman could certainly be the man to fill the vacancy left by Neves’ pending departure.

At just 22 years old, the bustling midfielder was monstrous in the Bundesliga this campaign, as highlighted by his 2.5 tackles per game and 54% total duels won with an enormous average of 7.4 won per game, via Sofascore.

It’s clear to see why the youngster is wanted by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool for his defensive exploits in the engine room, however the Colombes-born gem has far more to his game than protecting the back line.

Having been likened to Brighton & Hove Albion star Moises Caicedo, Kone could replicate the passing ability of Neves in his assured nature in the centre of the pitch.

Also lauded as having a “swagger” about him by Mango, the 22-year-old maintained a passing accuracy of 87% in the Bundesliga this term as well as registering an average of 5.73 progressive passes per 90 via FBref.

As per FBref again, the Gladbach midfielder ranks highly in comparison to midfielders in Europe, positioned in the top 4% in Europe’s top five leagues in the past year for his rate of successful take ons, averaging 1.97 per 90, incomparable to Neves’ 0.57.

While the Portuguese stalwart offers more in the final third, the Wolves target offers an opposing skill set to the 26-year-old, flexing the ability to open the play from deep playing as a commanding defensive midfielder.

His ball-carrying abilities are second-to-none and present as another area that the young whizz could signify progression in Lopetegui’s set-up without Neves, with him averaging 2.04 progressive carries to the Wolves captain’s 0.83 per 90.

With Liverpool and Villa expected to have significantly bigger budgets than Wolves this summer, only time will tell if Lopetegui can source the pennies to lure the talent to Molineux, there is no denying the impact he could have should the Old Gold win the race for his signature.

The Spaniard could well have his perfect Neves successor if that turns out to be the case.

Nic Maddinson has the chance to get off the mark in Test cricket in the first match against Pakistan, after failing to do so in the third against South Africa

Brydon Coverdale11-Dec-20161:49

‘I’ve tried to be more selective with my shots’ – Maddinson

Nic Maddinson is in fine company. Prior to Maddinson, only a dozen Australian top-six batsmen had fallen for a duck in their first Test innings on debut. Victor Trumper was one of them, also Joe Darling, Syd Gregory and Harry Trott, among Australia’s best early cricketers. In the more modern era there was Matthew Elliott, Phillip Hughes and Andrew Symonds – all of whom went on to score Test centuries.But there are some not-so-elites in the group, too. Roy Park is best remembered for the story, apocryphal or not, of how his wife bent down to pick up her knitting and missed his entire Test career: he was bowled first ball in his only Test innings. Others such as Ken Meuleman and Roland Pope, like Park, never played another Test.Whatever happens at the Gabba this week, at least Maddinson won’t fall into the latter camp. He will get another chance in the baggy green, a second opportunity to get off the mark in Test cricket after his 12-ball duck against South Africa at Adelaide Oval. It will be a chance to show that he has the game to bat in the longest form; by his own admission he, at times, has played too aggressively in first-class cricket.”It’s all about me finding a consistent mental state where I can start my innings,” Maddinson said in Brisbane on Sunday. “Have a game plan where it can work, not just when I’m batting on a good day on a flat wicket, but something I can implement on days where the ball is moving and I’m not feeling like it’s all going together.”I think that’s an important part of how I can improve as a player. And that’s… where the inconsistencies lie at the moment. At times I’ve been a bit too aggressive when the situation didn’t suit, but I feel like I’m more comfortable with my batting at the moment which comes with making enough mistakes and being around long enough to work it out.”In Adelaide, Maddinson came in under lights, facing the swinging pink ball, and was a little tentative before being bowled by a fine delivery from Kagiso Rabada. It meant he was the only one of Australia’s three debutants to leave Adelaide empty-handed – Peter Handscomb scored a first-innings fifty and then struck the winning runs, and Matt Renshaw occupied the crease for 183 balls.But having wiped out nearly half the side in moving from Hobart to Adelaide, the selectors opted for a steady hand in the wake of Australia’s consolation victory and named the same 12 for the first Test against Pakistan. Maddinson hopes that after a nervy debut, he will be better placed for Test cricket come his second opportunity.”It helps when the team wins… it’s easier to keep it together and let guys develop a little bit if they have missed out,” Maddinson said. “Although it was a good ball, there’s always something you can do differently. Whether it’s a mindset or just sharpen up a little bit. I’ve had time to watch it and there’s definitely some things I’ll be taking in when I start my innings this week.”One positive for Maddinson is that, unlike on Test debut, he now has a decent pink-ball score under his belt. Prior to the Adelaide day-night Test, Maddinson’s pink-ball day-night first-class career consisted of scores of 1, 18, 17, 1 and 46. But against South Australia in Adelaide last week, Maddinson scored 80 in the first innings of a day-night Sheffield Shield game to give him some confidence.”Regardless of what ball it was, it was an important innings for me,” Maddinson said. “The game before that in Shield cricket I probably didn’t get the runs I would have liked when I sort of felt in at times as well.”So to be able to get 80 last week – I was still extremely disappointed to get out when and how I did in that innings, and to miss out in the second innings. But that’s cricket, I’ve moved on and I think the experiences that I’ve gained from failing in pink-ball games has probably helped me I think in what I can prepare for this week.”

Chelsea have submitted an enquiry regarding a summer deal to bring Real Madrid star Federico Valverde to the Premier League, according to reports.

Who is Federico Valverde?

Valverde is a central midfielder who first arrived at the Bernabeu Stadium from Madrid's B team back in 2018 following a move there from Penarol a year earlier. He’s since gone on to become a regular feature of the first-team, clocking up a total of 204 senior appearances to date.

The Uruguay international still has another four years remaining on his contract in La Liga, but with Carlo Ancelotti’s side having recently confirmed the big-money arrival of Jude Bellingham, admirers are keen to check in to see whether he could become available.

Spanish reports have claimed that Mauricio Pochettino is “obsessed” with the 24-year-old, and if the following update is to be believed, it sounds like the manager’s initial interest has now developed into gathering information on what it would take to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

Are Chelsea signing Valverde?

According to TEAMtalk, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool have all "made enquiries" to Real Madrid and Valverde's personal representatives ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. The Blues are one of the clubs to have made "real attempts" to secure the midfielder's services, but the response was "clear" because he is "not looking to move", nor do his side want to sell.

Should Boehly still try a bid?

Real Madrid and indeed Valverde seem to be adamant that they don’t want to strike any kind of deal this summer. But money always talks in football, and considering the positive impact the midfielder “monster”, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, could make, Todd Boehly should definitely see if they could be tempted to change their mind.

Los Blancos’ £134k-per-week talisman is stronger in the offensive aspect of his game having posted 11 goal contributions (seven goals and four assists) in 34 La Liga outings last season, with this form having seen him receive four man-of-the-match awards.

The Montevideo native is also a versatile operator having been deployed in eight various positions across the pitch since the start of his career, including in the defence and out wide on the wing alongside his natural role, which will be yet another attractive attribute to Pochettino.

Finally, Valverde shares the same agency, Wasserman, as Lewis Hall, so this existing connection that his representative has to the club could give them a small advantage should they try to get a deal over the line in the near future.

Captain Angelo Mathews has defended his move of bowling with the new ball even as Sri Lanka slumped to an innings defeat and a series whitewash

Andrew Fidel Fernando at the Wanderers14-Jan-2017Angelo Mathews has labeled the 0-3 whitewash in South Africa his worst series defeat as captain, after Sri Lanka lost by an innings and 118 runs at the Wanderers.Mathews also has two 0-2 whitewashes in New Zealand on his captaincy record, but Sri Lanka had been somewhat competitive in those series, even claiming a first-innings lead in two of those four Tests. In South Africa, however, only three Sri Lanka batsmen hit half-centuries, and first-innings deficits of 81, 282 and 295 were surrendered.”I have been part of many defeats but as captain this is certainly the worst,” Mathews said. “We kind of expected to do better than what we did. But there was no improvement.”The batters were extremely disappointing – all the batters, including myself. All of us had got starts but didn’t convert them into big ones. That is disappointing. To give the bowlers a chance we need to put the runs on the board.”The defeat, Mathews said, came in spite of extensive preparation for the conditions Sri Lanka expected to face in South Africa. Sri Lanka had had roughly 10 days in at home following the Zimbabwe tri-series to prepare for the South Africa tour, and had also played a practice match in Potchefstroom.”When it comes to preparation we did our best,” Mathews said. “We practiced on wickets with grass back in Sri Lanka too. We kind of expected we will get wickets with lot of grass. It’s not easy to prepare wickets like this in Sri Lanka, given the high humidity. Life goes on and we need to find a solution to compete well overseas. Maybe it’s an opportunity for Sri Lanka Cricket to leave bit of grass when we play domestic cricket at home.”Mathews top-scored for Sri Lanka in the series, with 178 runs, while Kusal Mendis hit 138 runs to sit at second on the team list. It was Mendis’ first trip to South Africa for any level of cricket – the same going for Dhananjaya de Silva, who was asked to move to No. 4 in the second and third Tests, after having earlier prospered lower down the order.”If you look at our squad, only three guys had played in South Africa before. Guys like Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya are full of talent, but they need to be given a chance in these conditions. Playing four seamers in these conditions wasn’t easy. They will learn I am sure. It is a tough time and we need to hang in there as a team.”Of his practice of bowling first change, or with the brand new ball, through the series, Mathews also launched a spirited defence, and suggested this was a plan hatched by the bowling coach. Mathews has had success opening the bowling in limited-overs internationals, but has 33 Test wickets at 52.66. He has averaged 64.5 for his two wickets in this series, while Lahiru Kumara and Nuwan Pradeep – bowlers he came in ahead of – have taken 11 and seven wickets respectively, at 26.45 and 43.”My kind of bowling is swing and seam. When the ball is new it’s good to come early. The coach and bowling coach told me to bowl early as I land it on the spot. I didn’t bowl for that long. Even if you bowl 60-odd overs, in these conditions, the shine is still there. Given the fact that the wicket was seaming and swinging – if you look at my economy rate and the way I beat the bat, you would understand why I bowl early.”Across the last two years, in New Zealand, England and now South Africa, Mathews has taken four wickets at an average of 72.

Newcastle United "were no longer working on" a deal to sign Dominik Szoboszlai over the past few weeks because their "focus was on Sandro Tonali", claims transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

Newcastle United transfer news – What's the latest on Dominik Szoboszlai and Sandro Tonali?

The Magpies enjoyed an unbelievable season last year, qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in two decades and making it to the final of the Carabao Cup, despite falling at the final hurdle.

It's no surprise that with their new status as the richest club in the world and the arrival of continental football at St James' Park, Eddie Howe and Co are looking to make a statement in the summer transfer window.

That said, the Toon haven't had it all their own way thus far, with long-term target James Maddison signing for Tottenham Hotspur earlier this week with the Metro reporting that the England international was impressed with Ange Postecoglou's pitch.

Another player that seems to have slipped through the cracks is Hungarian international and RB Leipzig star, Szoboszlai.

According to Football Insider, the dynamic midfielder was on Howe's shortlist of potential transfer targets, and the Magpies eventually made an 'approach to sign' the 22-year-old back in May.

However, it appears that any deal with the club would have been pointless, as Leipziger Volkszeitung reporter Guido Schafer claimed on the Anfield Roar podcast (via NewcastleWorld) that:

"He (Szoboszlai) wants to leave. He said 'I want to make the next step', and he loves the Premier League. If he can choose between Champions League with Newcastle and Europa League with Jurgen Klopp, he will choose Klopp and the Europa League. That is for sure."

The Hungarian dynamo now looks to have gotten his wish, with Liverpool having reportedly offered to pay the German club the £60m required to activate his release clause.

However, according to Romano, Newcastle were less keen than first thought and had recently stopped working on the deal to focus on their primary transfer target, AC Milan's Tonali.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said: "Let me say for Newcastle fans that in the past few days, Newcastle were no longer working on this one because their focus was on Sandro Tonali.

"Sandro Tonali is a done deal and will be announced I think during the weekend from what I am told."

How good is Sandro Tonali?

The Italian international has been brilliant in Serie A over the last few seasons, earning himself a loan move to AC Milan from Brescia in 2020 before making the move permanent in 2021.

Since making his debut at the San Siro, he has made 130 appearances for the club, helping the team to win the Scudetto for the first time in 11 years in the 2021/22 season.

According to WhoScored, the 23-year-old averaged a brilliant rating of 6.91 across his 34 Serie A appearances last season, scoring twice and assisting his teammates another seven times.

The "leader", as described by football scout Jacek Kulig, is set to cost the Toon at least £55m, but based on his fantastic performances for Milan, that could well look like a bargain a few years down the line.

Australia’s poor recent record in Asia and the hosts’ dominant form make the upcoming tour of India one of the toughest he is likely to face as captain, but Steven Smith prefers to look at the satisfaction to be derived if his team can pull off an unexpec

Daniel Brettig14-Feb-20172:53

Defence incredibly important to batting success in India – Smith

Nine consecutive Test match losses in Asia. One series win in India in 48 years. Opponents boasting 19 Tests without defeat, and six consecutive series wins. Few Australian captains have faced a contract as tough as this, but Steven Smith prefers to look at the satisfaction to be derived from what could be one of the most unexpected triumphs in all Test history.Three years and 20 Test matches into his Australian captaincy, Smith has enjoyed numerous highs at home but also the humiliation of a series sweep at the hands of an unfancied Sri Lanka and a ruinous loss down under to South Africa. That last result forced a change in Australia’s selection philosophy, and Smith’s squad arrived in India featuring a notably younger combination than the one so outsmarted by Rangana Herath and company last year.”You probably learn more from losing games than you do from winning, so I guess the last year has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride in regards to results,” Smith said in Mumbai. “I think this team has come a long way. We are learning a lot, we are willing to put in the hard work to try and get the best out of ourselves and the best out of the team. I am happy with where everything is at the moment.”Obviously this is going to be a very difficult tour and I am excited by that challenge. All of the guys are really excited about what’s to come in the next six weeks. It’s a great challenge to play here in India. We know that if we can pull something off and win a series here, we will look back in 10-20 years and it will be some of the best times of our lives.”Australia’s two most recent Asian efforts, in Sri Lanka and also in the UAE against Pakistan in 2014, were characterised by an apparent lack of understanding for the right tempo required to excel in such climes. Smith said that as a captain he needed to show an ability to attack and defend at the right times. Similarly, his batsmen and bowlers had to know the right moments to hold their ground, or alternatively put the pressure on India.”For me, it is about understanding the different times of the games,” Smith said. “I think there are times in the game when you can attack a lot more and times when you need to defend a little bit and just let the game sort of take its course for a little while and try to keep things quite tight. When you get a sniff really go for it.”I think that’s an important aspect of the captaincy here in India. It is about knowing the right periods and timing the periods right – when to sort of take the foot off the pedal and to really go hard as well. I think I learnt a little about that in Sri Lanka. You don’t want people to change their natural games. It is always important to be positive and look to score. I think the moment you just start defending then you are probably in trouble.”You have to have that mindset to look to score, but ultimately your defence is what helps you out when you are in trouble. It is going to be important that our defences are strong against not only the spin bowlers of India, but they have also got some good fast bowlers as well that present a good seam, can swing the new ball and very good reverse as well. Defence is going to be incredibly important for us in this series with the bat.”Steven Smith has said Steve O’Keefe and Nathan Lyon have been working on adapting their bowling to Indian conditions, focusing more on accuracy and maximising natural variation rather than beating batsmen in the air with topspin•Getty ImagesWhile India have lately been an intimidating proposition for any bowling line-up, Smith expressed confidence that in Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Steve O’Keefe and Nathan Lyon – plus other spin options including Ashton Agar and Mitch Swepson – he had a combination capable of taking 20 wickets. All have the benefit of knowledge gained on previous trips to Asia, and Starc’s destructive efforts in Sri Lanka, where he lacked support, have not been forgotten.”I am confident, I think we have got a good mix of bowlers,” Smith said. “Guys that are working hard and learning to adapt to the way you need to bowl in these conditions. I think it is totally different to back home in Australia where you need to get up and over the ball and do guys in the air rather than off the wicket.”It’s important here to make sure you are bowling consistent areas and letting the wicket do the work and getting the natural variation out of the wickets. Guys have worked hard on that and I think we are in for a big series. Hopefully the guys can build enough pressure and get the ball in the right areas enough and hopefully we get the right rewards.”I think reverse-swing is going to be incredibly important in this series as well. Our two big quicks – Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc – are very good reverse-swing bowlers. They relish the challenge of playing against the best players in the world, and India have some incredibly good batters. So they are excited by the challenges of playing here as well.”No series between Australia and India seems to pass without some sort of verbal confrontation, and on this front Smith stated he would allow his players to decide what works best for them. There can be little doubt that the wicketkeeper Matthew Wade will have plenty to say, though the approach taken by Smith’s deputy David Warner will intrigue.”I think each of our individuals play the way that they play,” Smith said. “If they want to get into a battle verbally, if that gets the best out of them, then go for it. It’s all about us making sure as individuals we are in the right mindset to go out there and succeed. In the end it’s about us playing on skill and making sure that our skills are in the best place for us to succeed.”Smith’s tourists have one warm-up match against India A in Mumbai from Thursday, before the first Test in Pune.